Re: [Harp-L] Re: Tilting the Harp, & Irony

[Bob Harty <bharty@xxxxxx>]

10-4

Sent from my iPad

On Oct 11, 2013, at 3:54 AM, Mike Wilbur <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Brendan some of us Yank's apply " Tongue in Cheek " more often than " Tongue Block "
> So we understood you .....it's ok 
> 
> Mike Wilbur
> 
> 
> On Oct 11, 2013, at 4:24 AM, "Brendan Power" <bren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>> Oh dear, I always forget that Americans have an irony deficiency! After a
>> couple of alarmed responses to my last post, I realise once again that
>> British humour is not grasped by our friends across the Atlantic and that we
>> often need to explain the meaning of jokes in excruciating detail.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Over here (as well as in other English-speaking nations like my native New
>> Zealand, Australia, Canada & Ireland), people often deliberately overstate
>> things, or say the opposite of what they really mean, for comic effect. Itâ
>> s intuitively understood and appreciated by all around - but unfortunately
>> many Americans take the comments at face value and misunderstandings arise.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> If I have to spell it out: I love the sound of good Tongue-Block playing -
>> as well as puckering and the rolled-tongue style that others employ. If itâ
>> s used well, ANY embouchure is good! Itâs silly to rate one over another;
>> as with the guitar, itâs pointless to rate fingerstyle over pick playing -
>> they are different approaches and get different sounds & effects. Players
>> will prefer one or other for their own personal use, but there is no
>> absolute better or worse.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I was just joking in an overstated, humorous manner that the TB guys
>> sometimes do give the impression of making that absolute judgement of
>> superiority, mainly because their style was used by Little Walter and other
>> Blues greats. Some of them tend to dis pucker playing for that reason, as if
>> it is somehow not worthy of a true harmonica player. You see that implied or
>> even stated on the purist blues harp forums from time to time.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> As a result I was comparing puckering to having an embarrassing disease or
>> sexual proclivity that one feels the need to cover up, and then making a
>> grandiloquent gesture of coming out bold and proud. The use of the word
>> âNazisâ is a case in point in the ironic overstatement. Over here in the
>> Celtic music scene players often joke about the âTrad Nazisâ who frown on
>> any departure from strict old-time Irish traditional playing. It is widely
>> used and understood in that comic sense. I was using it in the same manner
>> to describe those in the traditional blues scene who think that
>> tongue-blocking is the only legitimate way to play the harmonica.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Continuing the ironic overstatement to a ridiculous extent, I went on to
>> claim that puckering with a tilt was the best of all approaches. This is
>> something I donât actually believe, and I would have thought that was clear
>> from the context. But apparently not for some - hence this long-winded
>> explanation.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I hope all is clear now, for whoever needs it spelled outâ
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Brendan Power
>> 
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>> 
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>